SUMMARY OF PROPOSED WORK: Purpose; 1) To continue studies on experimental herpetic ophthalmitis in the neonatal rat. 2) To investigate the significance of peripheral spread of herpes simplex virus to the eye in intracerebrally inoculated animals. 3) To study the pathogenesis of herpetic ophthalmitis by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and viral isolation. Wistar rats are inoculated intracerebrally with type 2 herpes simplex virus (HSV 2) at ages varying from birth to 30 days of age. Moribund animals are killed in extremis and survivors are killed at 30 to 40 days of age. The eyes and central nervous system (CNS) of all animals are examined histologically for evidence of viral-induced lesions. In selected cases, eyes are examined by transmission or scanning electron microscopy. Specimens are also processed for viral isolation and virus typing. Ocular Changes in the Dystrophic Hamster (UM - X7.1): Ocular changes observed in the dystrophic hamster have included microphthalmia, scleral ectasia, ectopia lentis, cataracts, and keratoconus (Scheduled for publication, Invest. Ophth. November, 1977). Also in progress are morphological studies of the extraocular muscles of the UM - X7.1 hamster. Muscles are collected for light and electron microscopy and varying stages of extraocular myopathy have been observed and documented by light and electron microscopy. Additional work is in progress.